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Please visit our hospital just off the North West corner of Power and Brown Rd. in Mesa, AZ.
Alta Mesa Animal Hospital
6704 E. Brown Rd.
Mesa, AZ 85205
(480) 981-1244
Does your pet have HEALTH INSURANCE? 
We recommend looking into a policy from one of the many available companies. Pet insurance can literally be a lifesaver in a surgical or medical emergency and will greatly reduce the stress and burden on your family during this time.
This is a good ARTICLE from the American Animal Hospital Association that lists several companies and does a side-by-side comparison.
Another resource for pet insurance is united pet care. Often offered through your work but also available for the individual. We accept United Pet Care and have seen a lot of happy pets and clients with this company.
- FDA Clarifies use of the Term, “Non-lactating Dairy Cattle”The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine has become aware that the term, “non-lactating dairy cattle,” may be confusing and that users could mistakenly interpret it to mean that drugs approved for use in non-lactating dairy cattle are safe when used in dry dairy cows, i.e., in cows between two lactations. […]
- FDA Announces Public Meeting to Discuss Antiparasitic Drug Use and Resistance in Ruminants and EquinesThe FDA today is announcing a two day public meeting to discuss the current state of anthelmintic resistance in the United States and worldwide, tools for the evaluation of antiparasitic resistance, evaluation of the effectiveness of drugs against resistant parasites, and the scientific rationale for the use of combinations of antiparasitic drugs in ruminant […]
- What You Need to Know: FDA-Approved vs. Unapproved Animal Drugs[…]
Wondering if a medical therapy or product found on the internet is legitimate? Well, just take a look through Quack watch for the latest information health scams.
Quackwatch is now an international network of people who are concerned about health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct. Its primary focus is on quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere. Founded by Dr. Stephen Barrett in 1969 as the Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud (Allentown, Pennsylvania), it was incorporated in 1970. In 1997, it assumed its current name and began developing a worldwide network of volunteers and expert advisors.
Case: Chewing Gum Toxicity
Sudden Liver Failure Due To Sugar Free Chewing Gum
Xylitol Toxicosis in a Pet Dog
Case Description:
Our patient is a two year old spayed mixed breed female dog. She is mostly a house dog with very little exposure to other environments or pets. The owner was home with her dog when she suddenly vomited several times and collapsed. She was presented as an emergency to ALTA MESA ANIMAL HOSPITAL and quickly assessed. On Physical Examination she was found to be in shock and was started on IV fluids to help stabilize her condition. Whole body radiographs were taken and no cause was identified. Complete in-house blood count and chemistry revealed an extremely elevated liver value at roughly 20 times above a normal value and low blood platelets. Potential causes at this point included toxins, liver or other organ torsion and unknown trauma. An ultrasound was completed within hours of her arrival and her gall bladder was found to be extremely thickened and her liver somewhat abnormal. That night, she was sent to ARECA (Animal Referral & Emergency Center of Arizona) for overnight care and further diagnostics. The doctors at ARECA first helped to further stabilize her with IV plasma to aid her blood to clot normally and they then completed an exploratory surgery with a liver biopsy and gall bladder removal. The organs were sent in for histopathology. The liver was found to contain wide spread cellular necrosis and the gall bladder was thickened due to hemorrhage. Our patient was kept in hospital for several additional days for supportive care and was released to the owner’s care approximately 1 week later. Upon reviewing the histopathology with the owner a potential cause of xylitol was discussed and the owner did advise that the pet had been chewing on one stick of sugar free gum some time that week but she had not connected this with any potential toxin as the owner assumed this was safe. The presumptive diagnosis was xylitol toxicity. Based on the diagnosis the owner’s other dog was brought in to have her liver enzymes screened because this dog had potentially gotten into the gum as well, but thankfully, her testing was normal.
What is it?
An artificial sweetener found in many sugar free products such as chewing gum.
What does it do? In dogs it causes either a profound episode of very low blood sugary or sudden liver damage.
How toxic is it? Potentially as little as one stick of sugar free gun can cause liver failure and death.
How is it cured? Avoid the source! Once the animal has shown signs of disease only supportive and life saving care can be offered. The goal is to keep the pet alive long enough for the liver to begin healing.
Does it hurt people? Not based on current information, the product appears to react much differently in dogs than in humans.
What do I do if I suspect that my pet ingested one of these products? Bring the pet to your doctor immediately and they will discuss how to proceed to keep your pet safe.
Link to ASPCA & further information on xylitol
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Cat Specific Exam Room:
Alta Mesa Animal Hospital has remodeled an exam room for the specific use of cats and exotic pets. The room is far away from barking dogs, has a feline diffuser for happy kitty smells, receiving blankets for comfort on exam tables, kitty toys, a kitty friendly hide box and many more happy cat features. Visit us today with your feline family member.
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